William J. Conheeny
|
|
Yearbook Saying All-Division Basketball . . . Senior Superlatives: "Best Dressed" Activities: Basketball, Tennis, Second Honors, Student Council, La Salle Club
|
|
Bill and his daughter Kirby |
Current Info Bill and his daughter Kirby run a bed and breakfast in Portsmouth. Bill bought the property overlooking St. Mary's Pond and did all of the restoration work himself. Bill has also been a licensed electrician for over 30 years, but now he is slowing that business down so he can devote more time to the Inn and its gardens. He like traveling to Ireland from time-to-time and visiting with his relatives there. |
|
(Editors Note: If you have not had a chance to stop by the
Shamrock Inn, you are really missing one of the nicest spots in
Portsmouth. Bill had done an outstanding job restoring an old shell
of a barn into a first class Country Inn. He worked day and night
for over four years, putting a new foundation under the barn then
designing and outfitting six unique suites. He built all the
moldings and doors from rough cut lumber using tools in his
woodshop. The doors are one of a kind, built 5 inches thick with
custom hardware. The walls are covered with old pictures and there
are manikins dressed in period clothes overlooking the foyer. Outside
there are acres of manicured gardens with hundreds of flowering plants
that we never even finished walking through. Staying at the Inn was
a lot of fun and we hope to return soon to visit with Bill again and
continue our exploration of the grounds - Larry and Kate Gomes). |
|
|
Biography - (from Conheeny Family History) William Joseph Conheeny grew up in their Newport home assisting his father in his cooking career, was educated in private schools run by the Christian brothers and continued studying in the Botany/genetics field. After completing an associate degree at the Franklin Institute of Boston in 1977, he founded Shamrock Electric an electrical contracting firm which is licensed throughout the East Coast and now services many of the buildings of the Newport Preservation Society and Newport's society that is so much a part of his heritage. William has restored several pieces of property one of which was the Irish American Athletic Club located on Thames street in Newport Fifth Ward. This building once housed a speakeasy during prohibition and forever an icon in Newport's local Irish history. Here William would use his father's taught food skills to feed and entertain the locals. In 1986 William purchased the main house of an original farm located on Union street in Portsmouth an area of rich history from the revolutionary war and at the center of the island. In 1994 he purchased the original barn and adjacent property. After a 5 year restoration process Shamrock Farm Inn was created with six elegantly decorated rooms which has been open since 2000. Has one daughter: Kirby Alison Conheeny. |
|
|
Website Links Shamrock Farm - An Irish Country Inn - (The Inn that is run by Bill and his daughter).
|
|
 |
|
|
